4d The Irish Naturalist. [Febmarj^, 



first of their species obtained in Ireland, and of claiming 

 William Thompson as sponsor to their identifications. These 

 are, the American Bittern shot at Armagh in November, 1845 

 (Thompson, vol. ii., pp. 168-9) ; Bonaparte's Sandpiper, Tringa 

 Schinzii, Bonaparte, believed to have been shot in Belfast Bay 

 in April, 1836 (Thomp., ii., p. 297) ; Broad-billed Sandpiper 

 shot in Belfast Bay in October, 1844 (Thomp., ii., p. 282) ; 

 Bonaparte's Gull shot on the I^agan in February, 1848 

 (Thomp., iii., pp. 317-20) ; and the Surf Scoter shot in Belfast 

 Bay in September, 1846 (Thomp., iii., pp. 118-9). Of these 

 five it is remarkable that all except the third are stragglers 

 from America. Other noteworthy birds in this Museum are 

 the female King Duck shot in Belfast Bay in March, 1850 

 (Thomp., iii., p. 1 16) ; the Snowy Owl shot on Scrabo mountain 

 in December, 1837 (Thomp., i., p. 97) ; the second recorded 

 Irish specimen of the Pomatorine Skua (Thomp., iii., p. 392); 

 one of the two Buff-breasted Sandpipers shot in Belfast Bay in 

 1864 {ZooL, 1866, p. 389) ; the first authenticated Irish speci- 

 mens of the Stock Dove (1875), Red-backed Shrike (1878), and 

 Pink-footed Goose (1891) ; a Spotted Crake mentioned by 

 Thompson (vol. ii., p. 319) as killed near Belfast in 1822; a Night 

 Heron shot at Monaghan, January, 1855 {Zoologist, 1857, P* 

 5429), and several rarities scarcely less valuable. There is a 

 fine collection of birds' .skins from Rathlin Island, which we 

 were shown, but time allowed of onl}^ a ver}^ hurried inspection 

 of these ; indeed, it may be well to say that few of the birds 

 in the Museum were critically examined, except two " Carrion 

 Crows," of which one proved to be Coivus frugilegtis. 

 Curiously, one of the first objects on which our eyes chanced 

 to fall was a Roseate Tern, the locality on whose label was 

 " Mew Island." 

 Ballyhyland, Co. Wexford. 



